Mindfulness and Tai Chi Programs Improve Fatigue and Pain Interference After Cancer Treatment

A partially randomized patient-preference trial published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR) and Tai Chi/Qigong (TCQ) improved fatigue and pain interference compared with a waitlist among distressed adults after cancer treatment. TCQ also improved sleep quality, while neither intervention significantly improved pain severity.

The Mindfulness and Tai Chi for Cancer Health (MATCH) trial included 587 participants with multiple cancer types and stages who had completed primary treatment at least 4 months earlier. Their mean age was 60.7 years, and 75% were women. Participants either chose MBCR or TCQ or agreed to random assignment between the programs; within each group, they were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to begin the intervention immediately or join a waitlist receiving usual care.

MBCR consisted of a 9-week program with weekly 105-minute group sessions and daily home practice. TCQ was delivered over 11 weeks through weekly 90-minute group sessions and video-supported home practice. Prespecified secondary outcomes at 3 months included sleep quality, fatigue, pain severity, and pain interference.

In adjusted longitudinal analyses, TCQ improved sleep quality relative to the waitlist by 1.90 points on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (95% CI, −3.18 to −0.62; P = .004). Fatigue improved with MBCR by 3.66 points (95% CI, 0.25-7.08; P = .036) and with TCQ by 3.42 points (95% CI, 0.10-6.73; P = .043). Pain interference decreased with both MBCR (β = −1.10; P = .029) and TCQ (β = −1.52; P = .002).

Outcomes did not differ significantly between MBCR and TCQ or according to whether participants selected their intervention. The investigators advised cautious interpretation because these were secondary and exploratory analyses involving multiple comparisons. Additional limitations included missing data, use of an adjusted sleep-quality score, and enrollment that did not require elevated sleep disturbance.

Source: Ma Y, Carlson LE, Jones JM, et al. Mindfulness and Tai Chi for sleep, fatigue, and pain in distressed people after cancer treatment: a partially randomized patient-preference comparative effectiveness trial. J Clin Oncol. Published online September 16, 2026. doi:10.1200/JCO-25-01967